St. Marks Coptic Church Melbourne

The Diocese of Melbourne and Affiliated Regions organised a protest and peaceful rally to raise awareness of the slaughter and blatant disregard of basic Human Rights of Copts in Egypt. Most recently in Naggi Hamadi where 6 Coptic youth were gunned down as they were leaving the Christmas Liturgy in the early hours of the 7th of January 2010. 3 Muslim men were detained and charged with the attack, only to be released without any punishment or imprisonment.

His Grace Bishop Suriel and many Ecumenical and Christian community leaders lead over 5000 people to express the pain, suffering, persecution, and frustration of living in a world where Governments 'turn a blind eye' to religious persecution, and or condoning religious violence.
His Grace met with the Egyptian Consular General at the Egyptian Consulate, relaying to him that the silence and lack of response from the Egyptian Government and the treatment of Coptic Christians in this way will no longer be tolerated. His Grace said "We are tired of having our complaints falling on deaf ears! NOW is the time for action!" The Crowd responded by chanting repeatedly "Enough is Enough! Stop the Killing! Stop the Pain! Naggi Mamadi Martyrs did not die in vain!"

The next stop was to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, Where His Grace again met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and expressed to him the frustration, anger and sorrow of the Egyptian Copts that are being persecuted everyday in Egypt. His Grace was able to relay a sense of support from the Minister that Australia will not tolerate any Religious Violence or Persecution on Australian soil.

The Protest ended with the last stop at the Parliament of Victoria.
His Grace and other Ecumenical leaders addressed the crowd with speeches of support from Parlimentarians, and a brief history of the violence and persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the Prayer for the Departed. VIDEOS COMING SOON. More photos of the Protest here!